


Unsatisfied

by oOAchilliaOo



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 08:14:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13585989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oOAchilliaOo/pseuds/oOAchilliaOo
Summary: She has a rule about hook ups at officers’ mixers. Namely, don’t do it. It’s a rule she’s kept throughout the entirety of her career. But on the eve of the Normandy SR1’s departure she considers breaking her rule for a handsome lieutenant she’s never met before.Instead she gets a harsh reminder as to why she has the rule in the first place and the result leaves her …unsatisfied.





	Unsatisfied

**Author's Note:**

  * For [faithlessone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithlessone/gifts).



Officers’ mixers were dull; really, really _dull_.

One of the worst parts of becoming an officer was definitely the necessity of attending these terrible formal affairs. They were always the same. Always dress blues, always too-little, too-‘fancy’ food, and always the feeling that everyone except the Admiralty would rather be in the bar with the privates, where there was at least the _possibility_ of a bar brawl.

Maybe that last part was just her.

Sweeping another glass of whiskey off a nearby tray, she leaned inelegantly against the bar. She supposed the launch of a new warship required a certain amount of pomp and ceremony, and as the XO of that warship she supposed she ought to be present for it. That didn’t mean she had to be _sociable_ about it though.

Anderson hadn’t arrived yet, probably avoiding the fray for as long as he possibly could. She wished he’d bloody well hurry up. Having the only other publically acclaimed ‘Alliance Hero’ in the room would probably take a little of the heat off of her. If she had to discuss the Blitz one more time…

Her thoughts trailed off as she spotted Admiral Hackett leading a member of the Alliance parliament towards her. She didn’t mind the Admiral, really, but if he was trailing a politician then it was likely that the politician had requested to meet her, probably in order to ask her the same questions she’d answered a dozen times already.

Since there was no reason to suppose that this politician would be any more sensitive about the death of both troops and civilians than the many others she’d spoken to, she immediately pushed herself off of the bar and vanished into the crowd. Determined not to be found for another few precious minutes, she went so far as to make several twists and turns amongst the other guests, before finally spotting a secluded corner near the back entrance.

She was on her way towards that corner when _he_ entered.

Immediately, she stopped short, almost running into him as their eyes met and a bolt of heat and shock and _something_ shot through her.

Of course, she had absolutely no idea who he was, but she did know that she was close enough to see the warm, whiskey flecks in his eyes, and the intelligence that glittered beneath them. Completely unbidden a smile came to her lips.

“Excuse me.”

“Sorry.”

They spoke at exactly the same moment, prompting another shared smile.

She was about to make some no doubt perfectly witty and utterly charming comment, possibly about how handsome he was when he smiled, but more likely about how she’d be happy to run into him again, repeatedly, all night if possible, but sadly, (or not so sadly once she heard the exact cadence of his voice) he spoke first.

“Kaidan Alenko.” He extended his right hand in greeting. “Staff Lieutenant assigned to the SSV Tokyo.”

“Good to meet you, Lieutenant.” She took his hand and ignored the warm tingly feeling that shot through her. “I’m…”

“Commander Shepard,” he interrupted, smiling just the faintest little bit. “Sorry. Seems like the Blitz is all anyone can talk about these days.”

She was fairly certain that the disappointment didn’t show on her face, but for some reason, and she wasn’t entirely sure why, she had expected better from him. However, just as she was preparing to rattle off the usual platitudes; ‘I did what I had to do’ and ‘I wish I could have saved more’ and so on, he surprised her.

“I bet no-one ever asks how you’re coping with it all, do they?” A look of real, genuine concern crossed his face. There was something else there too, almost as if he knew _exactly_ how it felt to be put into such an impossible position. She debated for a moment about calling him on that, but ultimately decided against it.

“I don’t know.” She accepted another glass of whiskey from a nearby server, partly to have something else to do with her hands. “The Alliance shrinks are very keen on asking me that.”

His snort of derision perfectly summed up her feelings on Alliance shrinks. So much so that she couldn’t help but laugh.

And then they were smiling at each other again.

God, he really was handsome when he smiled. Normally, she avoided hook-ups at officers’ mixers, and she definitely avoided getting into any kind of hook-up days before a tour. But, it seemed, she was about to make a very rare exception to both those rules, and judging by what she could see of his physique, she doubted she’d be disappointed by the decision.

Sadly, just as she was about to suggest a sojourn to her apartment, they were interrupted.

“Commander, Lieutenant. I’m glad you two met.”

“Sir,” the lieutenant barked, immediately jumping to attention as well as he was able to while also holding a glass of whiskey.

Protocol dictated that she should do the same, of course, but somewhere during the long course of their association she’d stopped standing to attention around Anderson unless absolutely necessary.

 “Anderson.” She greeted him with only the tersest of nods, more than a little annoyed with him for interrupting her flirtation with the lieutenant.

She shouldn’t be annoyed, she knew that, and she especially knew that she shouldn’t let her annoyance show in her tone, but it seemed she was breaking all the rules this evening.  Anderson shot her a slightly confused look back, but thankfully decided not to call her on her abruptness.

“Looks like we’ll all be working together,” he continued. “I’ve just been given dispensation to transfer staff from the Tokyo. Congratulations, Lieutenant Alenko, you’re now assigned to the Normandy.”

Dread pooled in Shepard’s stomach and three very sobering thoughts sprung into her head as she and the lieutenant shared a horrified glance.

Number one was that she really should have anticipated this, particularly after he’d said he was assigned to the Tokyo. Captains always preferred to handpick their crew from those that they knew could do the job and Anderson was just important enough to be granted such a favour. It was why she was on the crew, after all.

Damn it, this was precisely the reason that she usually avoided hook-ups at officers’ mixers.

Number two was that the Alliance would be monitoring everything aboard the Normandy. Every _tiny_ detail. With a magnifying glass. Every regulation would have to be followed from the ones governing the exact level of shine on a soldier’s boots down to the… well, down to the frat regs. Particularly, she assumed, the frat regs. As the first joint Turian/Human venture that was only to be expected, and it meant that there would be no leniency. The frat regs would have to be scrupulously upheld. Which _sucked_ because, for the first time ever, she _really wanted_ to break them. 

Of course, none of this really prevented her from having him tonight, _but_ what if it was so good that she couldn’t stand not to have more? Or so bad that it affected her opinion of him? Or one of a million other things she could think of that would adversely alter their working relationship?

Number three was that… at least she’d have the opportunity to get to know him better. It was the most dangerous of the three. If he kept surprising her like he had with the Blitz question, she might just be at risk of falling prey to a far more intimate, all-encompassing and frankly dangerous emotion. Especially since the option of… ’getting him out of her system’ was now off the table.

Damn it. This mission had suddenly gotten a _lot_ more complicated. She wasn’t equipped to handle this shit.

“Congratulations, lieutenant,” she echoed Anderson. “I look forward to working with you.”

“Me too, commander,” he said, holding her gaze. “Me too.”

His tone was as carefully professional as hers had been, but she hoped Anderson couldn’t read the look in his eyes.

The look that maybe said those same three thoughts had run through his head as well.


End file.
